Poll Tracker

CBS says, "each candidate has the same strengths and weaknesses; Obama still leads in understanding people's problems and bringing change, while McCain's lead in experience has even expanded" and that Sarah Palin's convention speech affected voters more than either of the presidential candidates, although her effect may be to attract Republicans and "repel" Democrats.

Other findings:

• As the other post-GOP convention and Palin pick polls have shown, McCain has made strides in narrowing the enthusiasm gap. Forty-two percent of his backers now describe themselves as enthusiastic compared to 24 percent in the last poll. Fifty-three percent of Obama's backers say the same, up 5 points.
• Biden beats Palin hands-down on the question of being prepared to be Vice President, 70 percent to 47 percent. But Palin wins on the question of being someone to whom voters can relate, 60 percent to 40 percent.
• In terms of McCain's base, while those evangelicals who are enthusiastic about him outnumber those who have reservations by 48 percent to 41 percent, that is way up from the 24 percent who described themselves as enthusiastic before the Democratic convention.
• And for Obama, his support among former backers of Hillary Clinton went up from 63 percent to 74 percent, although 18 percent say they will defect to McCain. But CBS said, "Obama has not made for Clinton voters any more enthusiastic."
• As in every poll, voters say that McCain is more prepared to be President by 76 percent to 42 percent and that he is very or somewhat likely to be an effective commander-in-chief by 82 percent to 59 percent.
• And again as in other polls, Obama rates higher on the question of understanding the needs and problems of voters. He bests McCain 61 percent to 51 percent, although that is 7 points higher than McCain scored in the previous poll.
• The biggest reservations about McCain were that he was too much like Bush and too old, 13 percent and 10 percent respectively. But 41 percent of voters worried about Obama being too inexperienced, and 16 percent said he might not be able to deliver on his promises.
• When it came to media coverage, 54 percent said the press had been harder on Palin compared to 31 percent for McCain and 18 percent for Obama.